


Doctor, Doctor

by NannaSally



Category: Original Work
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 02:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12949746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NannaSally/pseuds/NannaSally
Summary: the life of a medic on a frontier planet





	1. Doctor Nurse

I had never wanted to be a Doctor – all that earnestness, that needing to be needed, that learning. And the hours!!

But nursing? That was another matter. Once you got past the entrenched opinion that nurses were somehow only there to be a Doctor’s servant, there was much to be considered:  
The training period was shorter, the employment opportunities somewhat more elastic and the hours more manageable. Casual work, shift work and other options still remained no matter how sophisticated the medical world became. And the personal touch was something the best AI could not emulate.

And many pioneering colonies could not afford to attract the quality Doctor’s they might wish for. The money just was not there, but a good, quality, caring general nurse? That could be budgetted for.

And what you did not already know could be easily looked up once you had the basics. Need to remove an inflamed appendix? See Grey’s Anatomy chapter on Gastric Surgery. Need to turn a baby to birth position? Look up Midwifery for Beginners. Need to set a limb? Lance a boil? Treat an infection – all basic stuff learnt way back when.

This kind of medicine had not really changed in centuries.  A lot of it was basic common sense, and the ability to keep hurting people comfortable.

It was a point of pride for any new colony to include a serviceable medical unit which included a full Medical Encyclopedia, Laboratory facilities and computer equipment suitable for connection to the GWW for further research and updates. And the Virtual Doctor’s these days were pretty well rounded, and provided by the Central World’s Colonial Office.

And the pay was pretty good too.

So I had served  my four year term at the Central Nursing Educational College, finishing in the top 20% of my final year. Actually, my grades were nearer the top than that might indicate, but I had ‘trouble cooperating with others’ so that was reflected with a downgrading… and reduced my chances of working within the Central Elite Worlds.

But as I had long since set my sights on getting off the Central Worlds, and out to where freedom was more readily available, that really did not bother me very much.

***********************************

 

Why would I be so anxious to leave the Central Elite Worlds? And go out where the equipment was definitely less available or user friendly than that which I had seen during my training? To a place that was probably off the normal space lanes? Where there may be no more than a dozen new people seen in any planetary year?

Where the amenities would not include hot-and-cold-running everything you might want? No replicators, no fashion scene, music would likely be outdated? And more (or less) than I was used to?

Well the answer is – I was used to it, and I didn’t like it. I wanted to be more unique, more different than my friends and family, especially family, approved of. I wanted new experiences. I wanted to be prove I could do it, not just think it. I wanted to nurture new thoughts and ideas. I wanted… I was not altogether sure just what I wanted, but it was not more of the same, year in and out, where my uniqueness was lost in a sea of individuals. 

Mind you, before I left the CW, I took advantage of everything I could lay my hands on: a full range of vaccinations for everything known, and a few I had never heard of, a series of Age Reduction Therapy Sessions – this would help me in the future.

Access to the latest nanobot technology – and I managed to canoodle the secrets of how to reproduce this tech out of the guy who oversaw my sessions.  A bit of Sex Appeal can go a long, long way if directed by a truly rational mind. So I got some interesting information, plus some nice dinners and a pretty satisfying season of Sexual Satisfaction – one I had him trained well.

It was my intention to provide my future community the best options possible, and also increase my standing in the greater worlds of colonial medicine.

 


	2. Keeping Up the Community

One thing about this community, there was no place for outdated, unfounded bigotry. As long as a person contributed their share to the whole, who they were in private was their own conern. Heritage, skin colour, etc meant nothing to a basically survivalist colony.

One of the things expected as part of ‘their share’ was contributing to the gene pool of the next and future generations.

For most of the inhabitants that was not really a problem – some paired up quite quickly, others preferred to sleep around as the situation came up.

But for a few it was more problematic – those who really could not cope with the idea of heterosexual physical contact. There were only a few, but their genetic share was still needed. So one of my projects was Aritificial Insemmination. This also applied to those who did not like to have sex with more than one partner -  even for the purposes of procreation.

So I kept a supply of semen in the freezer, and supplied it to the women as necessary. No one individual was forced to physically have babies – there had always been some people who could not quite cope with the full childbearing experience. So some embryos were kept on ice as well. Also available for those who wanted the experience and did not have the ‘bits’ to bring it about.

Some were kept for the future as well. All genetic mixes were important, but the occasional individual who showed particular abilities were encouraged – not forced – to add to the genetic future of the new nation.

Of course, not having totally up to date facilities meant no genetic manipulation – this was mostly met with a ‘thank goodness’ reaction by the general populace. The earliest colonists and those who came in a slow but steady stream from the Central Worlds had either experience for themselves the effects of forced genetic manipulation, or had at least heard the stories and rumours that circulated no matter the authorities best efforts.

Choosing potential genetic parents was not really a problem. At our level of population, any and all babies were welcomed eagerly. If neither parent was available for child rearing there was a range of options: Foster Families – well adoption really, cause once in none left. Any adult could volunteer to be a parent of an extra child, not that there were too many of them, but the backlog of genetic material in storage meant I always had a baby expected any day, and could generally decide well in advance who would be a good parent figure.

It was preferred to be a couple, as it had long been established that this wa the best configuration for children in general, but any group or single adult could make themselves available. Single Parent families were no problem really, as what the individual could not provide the rest of the colony could. And no one as expected, or encouraged, to do the whole job in isolation. In fact, the desire to isolate was one the few things that might remove an applicant from the list. Isolation from the community was just not considered healthy for anyone, not long term anyway.

Group marriages were not uncommon on planet, and they were often keen to add to their bundle of children.

But I tried to be completely fair when I presented the Council for Children with the current list of approved parents for any particular child.

As the planet’s population was still quite small, it was a given that several members of the council would know the parents, and have an opinion on the child’s best outcome.

Occasionally, the child would be adopted by the whole community, but that truly was rare. It usually meant there was something special about that child: often the ones not expected to live to adulthood were among these. The colony believed the best way to care for these children was in family situations...

*********************************************************

Let me tell you about a family I know:

So Audra loved Blaine and Blaine loved Audra, and they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, so they got married to show the world. They had a couple of kids.

Now Audra had a dear friend Lucretia, and they also wanted to spend their lives together, supporting and loving each other, though not particularly sexually, as each preferred men that way. However, they did enjoy curling up together when they slept. So Audra and Blaine married Lucretia. Lucretia and Blaine had children also.

Blaine also had a dear friend Kaden, though as he was bisexual he did like to have sex with him occasionally. They had always been close, closer than brothers and wanted to spend their lives together so Audra, Blaine and Lucretia married him into the family. Kaden was not keen on women sexually, but Audra and Lucretia each had a child to him by artificial insemination, done in home, lovingly.

Each member of the marriage was welcome to introduce a new potential partner, but before any ceremony, all members had to agree. Any member could separate from the rest, but divorcing someone from the marriage had to be by consent of a majority of 75% of the others.

All Children of the marriage were equally valued and loved. Biological parents were acknowledged, but were not the only important relationship. Sometimes children were adopted into the family if they were needy and the family knew them.

Members of the marriage could have temporary relationships, but this was not really encouraged, and usually not needed…

No member could be forced to have sex with another, but it was considered bad manners to refuse Warmth when asked, unless there was a good reason.


End file.
